The invention relates to a holder for attaching to a bearing surface a component having a dovetail slot or carriage on its outside.
Various holders are known which can be used to attach components having a dovetail carriage arranged on the outside to a bearing surface. Three such holders are illustrated in FIGS. 1a-1c. 
FIG. 1a shows a section through a component 1 which has a dovetail carriage 2 on one of its outer sides. A bearing surface 3 has a dovetail guide 48 which is matched to the internal profile of the dovetail carriage 2. A turned part 49 with integrally formed cone is recessed into the dovetail guide 48, perpendicular to the bearing surface 3, in the region of the edge of the dovetail guide 48, and is preloaded behind the bearing surface 3 by a restoring spring 50. At the side, the turned part 49 has a conical groove 51 into which the tip of a grub screw 52 fits. It can be seen clearly that the profile of the cone of the turned part 49 is formed identically to the outer profile of the dovetail guide 48. When the grub screw 52 is tightened, the cone of the turned part 49 is pressed toward the restoring spring 50, against the inside of the dovetail carriage 2, and clamps the latter securely in place. This type of holder is prevented from tilting on both sides of the dovetail guide 48 and is also secured so that the component 1 cannot inadvertently be pulled off the bearing surface 3. However, the drawback of the holder is that a tool is required for assembly in order to tighten the grub screw 52. Moreover, the turned part 49 with the cone and the restoring spring 50 arranged behind it projects a long way behind the bearing surface 3. Consequently, a large amount of space is required behind the bearing surface 3, which may amount to 15 mm or more. However, a large holder can only be integrated into another device with difficulty.
FIG. 1b shows a second variant of a holder for a component 1 with a dovetail carriage 2 arranged on the outside. Once again, a dovetail guide 48 with a profile matched to the dovetail carriage 2 is machined in front of a bearing surface 3. However, one side of the dovetail guide 48 is interrupted at approximately half its length. Consequently, a partial region of the dovetail carriage 2 remains free and is not filled by the dovetail guide 48. A ball 53 is arranged laterally in this partial clear region, bearing against the inside of the dovetail carriage 2, which ball is adhesively bonded to a leaf spring 54. That end of the leaf spring 54 which is remote from the ball 53 projects into a free space well behind the bearing surface 3 and at this end is attached behind the bearing surface 3. The spring force of the leaf spring 54 presses the adhesively bonded ball 53 against the internal profile of the dovetail carriage 2, so that the dovetail carriage 2 is held on the dovetail guide 48 in the set position. The dovetail guide 48 itself prevents the component 1 from being able to tilt laterally with respect to the bearing surface 3. The advantage of this holder compared to that illustrated in FIG. 1a is that there is no tool required for assembly. However, the drawback of this solution is that the ball 53 can become detached from the bonding point as a result of the load imposed. Moreover, in this holder sufficient installation space for the leaf spring 54 is required behind the bearing surface 3.
FIG. 1c shows a third variant of a holder for attaching a component 1 with a dovetail carriage 2 arranged on the outside to a bearing surface 3. In this case, there is no longer a dovetail guide 48 arranged in front of the bearing surface 3. Instead, a bolt 55, which is fitted into one lateral internal profile of the dovetail carriage 2, is secured just in front of and parallel to the bearing surface 3. A bent leaf spring 57, which presses laterally against the component 1, is attached laterally next to the component 1 by means of a screw 56. The advantage of this holder is that there is no need for any space behind the bearing surface 3, since all the holder components are arranged in front of the bearing surface 3. However, as a result of a dovetail guide on the bearing surface 3 being dispensed with, the component 1 is not prevented from tilting in all directions. Consequently, although the component 1 is unable to tilt in the direction of the bent leaf spring 57, since it is deflected back by the force of the spring, it is not prevented from tilting away from the leaf spring 57, since the component 1 then remains tilted and is not deflected back. Further drawbacks are that space is required for the leaf spring 57 laterally next to the component 1. Moreover, if the leaf spring 57 is fitted or removed incorrectly, it is easily bent or broken off.
Accordingly, there is a need for an invention that provides the advantages of the three devices described above without also providing the disadvantages. Thus, there is a need for an invention that allows for the attachment of a component that has a dovetail carriage on the outside to a bearing surface that does not require the use of tools, does not allow the component to tilt, does not project a long way behind the bearing surface, and does not fail under the imposed loads.
The object of the present invention is to provide a holder that requires very little space and with which a component having a dovetail carriage arranged on the outside can be attached to a bearing surface reliably and in a manner that it is prevented from tilting, without using a tool.
In accomplishing the foregoing and other objects, there has been provided according to the present invention a holder for attaching at least one component having a dovetail slot to at least one bearing surface. The holder comprises at least one elongated member that is fixed with respect to at least one bearing surface, and a preloaded compressible resilient member that is fixed with respect to at least one bearing surface adjacent to each elongated member. The elongated member and the compressible resilient member cooperate with the dovetail slot to secure a component against the bearing surface.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the elongated member is a pin-like bolt that is attached just in front of and parallel to the bearing surface, and the compressible resilient member is a compression spring that is attached just in front of and parallel to the bearing surface adjacent to the block. The compression spring is bent away from the bolt under preloading such that the bolt and the compression spring are pressed into the two inner sides of the dovetail slot.
There also has been provided according to the present invention a multiple holder for attaching multiple components having a symmetrical dovetail slots to at least one bearing surface that comprises a mounting member having a plurality of holders mounted thereon. In one embodiment of the multiple holder, the mounting member is an elongated bar having a single bearing surface. In another embodiment, the mounting member is a cylinder having multiple bearing surfaces.
There also has been provided according to the present invention a fluorescence microscope having an illuminating beam path that is directed onto a specimen and an imaging beam path that starts from the specimen that comprises a lens positioned in the imaging beam path, and an eyepiece for viewing the imaging beam, and at least one holder. In one embodiment, the fluorescence microscope includes a single holder. In other alternative embodiments, the fluorescence microscope includes a mounting member having a plurality of holders mounted thereon, wherein each holder can be moved into a functional position.
Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description of preferred embodiments that follows, when considered together with the accompanying figures of drawing.